At the present time, there is a great emphasis toward minimally invasive techniques in joint replacement surgeries. For example, minimally invasive hip replacements, including two-incision hip arthroplasty and single anterior approach arthroplasty, are currently the preferred methods of performing surgery of this type. While there are benefits to performing these minimally invasive techniques (i.e.—quicker recovery time, less scarring, etc. . . . ), there are also requirements and difficulties associated with the methods.
One of the primary objectives during a minimally invasive hip surgical technique is to remove the femoral head and neck portions without dislocating the femoral head from the acetabulum. By not dislocating the femoral head, the hip capsule may be preserved, thereby maintaining stability and power of the hip joint. This is typically accomplished by performing the femoral neck osteotomy and the resection of the femoral head in situ. Unfortunately, there is significant difficulty in performing these resections in situ. The small size of the incisions used in minimally invasive surgery and the lack of instruments directed to performing the bone cuts in such a small space provide significant hurdles for a surgeon.
Heretofore, at least one femoral neck resection guide has been proposed. Commonly owned United States Patent Publication No. 2006/0025775 (the '775 publication), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, teaches a femoral neck resection guide suitable to aid in the aforementioned femoral neck osteotomy. However, such resection guide does not necessarily provide significant adaptability to the varying landscape defined by the differing geometry of the femoral neck.
For the foregoing reasons, there exists a need for a femoral neck resection guide for and method of performing minimally invasive hip resection and bone removal, where a guide is provided that is capable of being manipulated in situ to provide for very accurate cuts to the proximal portion of the femur during hip surgery.